Previous Presentations

Previous Presentations

Friday, 21 April - Joseph Fargnoli, (Business and Management) The Water Project.

Wednesday, 22 March “Readings by PMC Writing Faculty.”

Anne Alexander has her master's degree in Education from Boston University and her BA in International Affairs from Northeastern University. In addition to teaching in the writing program and teaching and advising in the first-year program at Pine Manor, she also volunteers at 826 Boston, a writing after-school program for inner-city kids, and is involved with several social justice organizations involved in local and international efforts.

Jennifer Jean's debut poetry collection is The Fool. Her poetry and prose have been published in over sixty literary journals and anthologies, including: Rattle Magazine, Waxwing Journal, and Denver Quarterly. She is the recipient of the 2016 Good Bones Prize. In addition to teaching at Pine Manor College, she is: Co-director of the Morning Garden Artist Retreats, Poetry Editor of The Mom Egg Review, Managing Editor of Talking Writing Magazine, and founder of Free2Write Poetry Workshops for Trauma Survivors.

Hannah Baker-Siroty has degrees from The University of Wisconsin-Madison and Sarah Lawrence College. Her poems have appeared in Best New Poets 2012, Lavender Review, and Lumina, among other places. When she is not busy directing the writing program at Pine Manor she is with her family, mostly driving her children around and falling asleep by 9.

Julie McClure enjoys working with international students at ELI and teaching English for PMC students. She is interested in cross-cultural communication in school communities and projects to strengthen multilingualism. She has a graduate degree in applied linguistics and completed study abroad and development work in Latin America. When she is not working in Haldan, Julie is studying a new language in preparation for a trip or learning more about refugee and immigration issues.

Sara-Anne Thomas is a full time English as a Second Language tutor for the LRC, and she also is part-time faculty for the English Department at Pine Manor College. Sara-Anne received her Masters of Fine Arts graduate at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire in 2005. She has studied with poets Anne Waldman, Jeff Friedman, and Joan Larkin. She just completed her thesis on Diane di Prima's Loba, a series poem about a goddess figure who has the power to resurrect other women, and her own manuscript “No Roses.” Poems from her manuscript have been published in the literary journals/publications The Alembic, Tattooed Highway, My Favorite Bullet, In Our Own Words, and many more. Sara-Anne currently resides in Waltham with her small pride of three cats.

Shelley Linso is a graduate of Columbia University’s School of Arts where she received her MFA in Fiction. Her short story, “Sugaring Off,” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2009. Her work “We Can Only Be Ourselves” was a Top 25 finisher in the 2009 Glimmer Train Fiction Open and her story “Lisbeth from Oklahoma,” was a semi-finalist in the New Orleans Review 2011 Walker Percy Prize in Short Fiction and an Honorable Mention in the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Prize. The first album she ever owned - on tape casette - was R.E.M.'s Green album (released in 1988), until she started listening to New Kids on the Block because she felt she had to. Yay peer pressure. Yay Joey McIntryre. Yay Hangin' Tough.) Shelley will be reading from her short story, "Standard Uniform."

Zach Buscher's poem "Nanopharmacology" was selected by D.A. Powell for inclusion in Best New Poets 2011. Zach hasn't really released anything since, but he has edited hundreds of student papers, mostly unpublished.

Professor Mark Rosenberg presented an exercise in critical thinking using a controversial TED talk, "Black Men Ski" by the performance artist Stew. The faculty participated in a line-by-line analysis of Stew's lyrics and then discussed varying opinions and insights into the issues presented, using the same technique for deconstruction that Rosenberg uses in the classroom. We then discussed some of the implications of the stereotypes that Stew confronts in his piece, and how they might be correspond to the Pine Manor Community. The symposium concluded with a report of the Resident Adviser's ski day earlier this semester and the faculty symposium considered some of the potential positive outcomes of increased informal educational opportunities that enhance the Pine Manor experience.

“I will present important takeaways from my attendance at this year's Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC). I will reflect upon how the conference has influenced my approach to teaching English composition and how these strategies might be incorporated across disciplines.” - Shelley Scaletta

“I will present a slide show of new artworks completed during my fall 2014 sabbatical. I was busy working on oil paintings of still lifes and interior/exterior views of my home (a recurring theme), as well as attending to the business side of being a professional artist. I’ll show my new website; my new professional Facebook page; white-line color woodcuts created during a printmaking workshop; and highlight other exciting opportunities that arose during my time off campus.” – Carole Rabe

“Can young children consider their own choices from a moral perspective, particularly when these choices do not match the practices of immediate authority figures? To answer this question, I studied 6- to 10-year-old independent vegetarians—children who have elected to become vegetarians, despite being raised in non-vegetarian families. We discussed the results and implications from this study. We also discussed a follow up study I conducted that examines how vegetarian children judge human attacks against animals as compared to human attacks against other humans. We reviewed the results of this follow up study together and consider possible explanations for these results. “ – Karen Hussar

Dance professor Sharon Montella’s presentation and demonstration was a brilliant showcase of the art of dance in the historical and social context of its time. Montella opened with a beautifully vivid description of the era and the environment that Lester Horton worked in, and some of the inspirations to the development of his groundbreaking technique. Horton was blessed with both an enormous gift for dance and choreography, as well as an inclusive social sensibility and passion for teaching. In ‘Using Horton Pedagogy for Dance Instruction,’ Montella refers to some of the great dancers and choreographers that continued to built upon Horton’s pedagogy - most famous among them is Alvin Ailey who established the American Dance Theater in New York City. Montella’s presentation came to life with student demonstration of some of Horton’s exercises (including fortifications, preludes and studies), showcasing movement dynamics, mental focus and the musical ear necessary to accomplish them.

“This semester I am using a different approach to grading in two of my courses. So-called “specifications grading” is a system that marks all work submitted as Pass/No-pass, based on whether it meets the requirements specified for that assignment. It doesn’t eliminate letter grades. It does provide a different way of arriving at those grades. The intention is to increase the standards expected of student work, reduce the uncertainty for students about what is expected, and improve the confidence in the actual level of learning achieved by a student who passes the course. It is a work in progress….. I will give an overview of the system, provide an update on what I think I have learned so far, and invite discussion.” –William Vogele

MFA Associate Director Tanya Whiton and co-author and photographer Heidi Killion celebrated the launch of Two for the Road: Adventures in Maine at Pine Manor College last night with a book signing and a short talk. Their presentation, the 2014 Nicholson Series Lecture and part of the ongoing faculty symposium curated by Assistant Dean for Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence Bill Stargard, addressed two challenges: first, finding ways to see familiar environments with a fresh eye, and second, venturing beyond perceived limitations as female artists and travelers.

Ujwala Panse, Ph.D., “Recent Presentations and New Opportunities for Partnerships.” 14 November 2014

American Chemical Society and New England Faculty Development Consortium (NEFDC) have accepted two abstracts related to the teaching and learning concepts in chemistry, for presentations in their respective conferences. The title of the abstract submitted to American Chemical Society is: Teaching Concepts in Thermodynamics Using Real World Application. The presentation is regarding an interdisciplinary approach in teaching chemistry. The real world application from biology is used to demonstrate the teaching method.

NEFDC has accepted the abstract for a poster presentation. The title is: Using An Inquiry Based Approach to Thin Layer Chromatography. The presentation is regarding using critical thinking skills in teaching an organic chemistry experiment.

An opportunity for Partnership:

Pine Manor College and Regis College in collaboration with Dr. Bruce Jackson from the Massachusetts Bay Community College have submitted a grant to National Science Foundation. The rationale of the proposal is to create dexterous, problem solving and research savvy STEM workforce for industries.

Professor Sandra McElroy, Ed.D., “Early Childhood: Education, Health, and Leadership – From Pine Manor College to the Steps of the Statehouse.”

7October2014

Sandra McElroy, Ed.D. delivered the first presentation of this semester: Early Childhood: Education, Health, and Leadership – From Pine Manor College to the Steps of the Statehouse Dr. McElroy, the newly elected Co-President of the Massachusetts Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, is highly involved in Early Childhood policy making through her dedicated work in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Her presentation included information about her professional activities and training in various areas including, Civil Rights, World Class Instructional Design and Assessment, and her endorsement from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Sheltered English Immersion. Dr. McElroy explained how committee involvement supports and shapes policy as well as creates opportunities for her Pine Manor College students.

Professor Hannah Baker-Siroty, "Odd of the Ordinary"

April 25, 2014

Professor Hannah Baker-Siroty has degrees from The University of Wisconsin, Madison and Sarah Lawrence College. She has been awarded fellowships from The Vermont Studio Center and The Writers' Room of Boston. Her poetry has appeared in Best New Poets 2012, Broad!, Cactus Heart, Each Moment a Mountain, and Lumina, among other places. Prof. Baker-Siroty discussed her poetry from her collection Odd of the Ordinary and her newer poems about Vice Presidents of the United States, and shared her thoughts about her writing process.

Professor Miller's research centers around the emergence and persistence of vernacular museums, which showcase “ethnographies of the everyday” – ranging from the social and cultural impact of local figures or groups to everyday lifeways – often in less formal locations, and their roles in constructing community. Numerous examples will be visually illustrated and analyzed, with an eye toward understanding their voice in representation and the creation and dissemination of local knowledge. These small museums, spearheaded by individuals and community groups, have increasingly emerged across the United States, as individuals seek a voice in shaping the creation of our understanding of history and culture.

KathiAguero, read from her new book, "AfterThat”

March 21, 2014

Kathleen Aguero has published five collections of poetry: Daughter Of, The Real Weather, Thirsty Day, Investigations, a collection of poems inspired by Nancy Drew, and the most recent After That. Her work has appeared in numerous literary journals, including Poetry magazine, Massachusetts Review, and the Cincinnati Review. She is also co-editor of three collections of multicultural literature: A Gift of Tongues, An Ear to the Ground, and Daily Fare. Her creative nonfiction essay, “Marriage Koan,” appears in the anthology Why I’m Still Married. Recipient of a Massachusetts Fellowship in Poetry and a fellowship to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Kathi also was awarded a writing grant from the Elgin/Cox Trust. She has taught at the Writers’ Center at the Chautauqua Institute in upstate New York, the NY State Young Writers' Program at Skidmore, as well as in the Poets in the Schools Programs of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. In 2004, she held the position of Visiting Research Associate at the Brandeis University Women’s Studies Research Center in Waltham, Massachusetts. In addition to teaching in the Solstice MFA program, Kathi teaches for “Changing Lives Through Literature,” an alternative sentencing program based on the power of books to change lives through reading and group discussion. She is a consulting editor in poetry for Solstice: A Magazine of Diverse Voices. Visit www.kathleenaguero.com

Prof. Colleen Krieser and Prof. Susan Bear presented their work on the BUILD grant. Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD), is an initiative by the National Institute of Health (NIH) aimed to enhance diversity in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences research workforce. The NIH's Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) states: "...BUILD awards are intended to support the design and implementation of innovative programs, strategies and approaches to transform undergraduate research training and mentorship."

The Biology Department at Pine Manor College will be submitting the grant proposal to the NIH under the BUILD initiative this spring.

Assistant Professor of Biology, Colleen Krieser, reported on the research she conducted during her sabbatical on the c. elegans which is a roundworm and the only organism to have its connectome (its neural "wiring diagram") completed. It is a useful tool that can be translated to human genetic research and that has implications in the treatment and cure of various neurological diseases such as Lou Gehrigs Disease and ALS.

In her presentation Prof. Kreisar laid out the purpose of her Sabbatical which included mastering the use of c. elegans in research; testing different enzymes to see if they had a measurable effect; and lastly, designing ways to take the research back to her classroom at Pine Manor College. To that end, Prof. Kreiser not only showed how critical and fundamental her research is, but also demonstrated how it will be used to teach students and prepare them to take their place in meaningful bench research positions.

For questions or comments about the
Faculty Symposium Series, please contact William Stargard, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of Faculty Development
& Teaching Excellence,
and Professor of Art History
email: wstargard@pmc.edu
office: 617-731-7070